The 50 best drinking songs

You can’t help but sing along with the common people at the local watering hole when the jukebox starts playing Garth Brooks’s 1990 ode to drinking the blues away. You’ll suddenly find yourself line dancing with folks you’ve never met and seeing if your vocal register can go to those low places in the song’s signature chorus. And, of course, there will be plenty of whiskey and beer flowing. Fun fact: In the perfect marriage of song to hapless sports team, the Kansas City Royals (two winning seasons in the last 19 years) adopted ‘Friends in Low Places’ as their sixth-inning sing-along anthem. It serves as a constant reminder to beleaguered fans that misery loves company…and booze.

Anyone who knew of the British anarcho-punk band in their indie days must’ve been completely baffled when the group signed to a major in the mid-’90s and hit it big with this exuberant ode to getting drunk, getting knocked down and getting back up again. It persists as a source of inspiration for suburban normies, but that’s sort of the point - the band has described the song as being about ‘the resilience of ordinary people’. It also catalogs their curious drinking habits. A whiskey drink, a vodka drink, a lager drink and a cider drink? Maybe stop mixing your alcohol and you won’t fall down so much.

From what I’ve heard and seen on YouTube of their early concerts, the Mats made all their songs drinking songs. The gloriously shambolic punk stuff raged like an adolescent who's seen a specter of his older self just ahead, slumped at a local bar and stamped with a gas-station name tag. Conversely, young Paul Westerberg’s ballads carried the sadness of a middle-aged nobody yearning for his salad days. Somehow, the Minnesotans shifted between these two gears without blowing the clutch, as heard in these respective cuts from 1985 and ’87.

Though only one carried the title outright, all of Williams’s songs were ‘Long Gone Lonesome Blues’ at heart. The Alabama-born legend was tough as an old strip of donkey jerky, yet many of his songs revolved around crying. It made him more of a man – a man with a leather liver. ‘These last nine beers,’ he sings in that high hillbilly whine on this Nashville session, have only convinced him: ‘I’m gonna keep drinkin’ until I'm petrified.’ A couple years later, in 1953, they pulled his body out of a Caddy littered with beer cans and lyric sheets.

When you’re a few drinks in, there’s something about driving rhythms and violin melodies that makes you want to sing along at the top of your lungs. Celtic punks Flogging Molly understand this phenomenon well, so it stands to reason that the title track of their 2002 record is a song about the songs you belt out after a few shots of whiskey.

Seems old Jimmy stopped looking for that shaker of salt, shrugged and switched his focus to hooking up with another drunkard at the bar. On a water bed, no less. Because of course Jimmy Buffet – in his pre-Margaritaville country phase of the early ‘70s – does gross things on a water bed.

We hate this song as much as you do. Of course we do. But the entire belly-shot community would beg to differ. And answer us this: Has any piece of music better simulated the jackhammering headache of a Russian-grade hangover? 

‘Beer’s always better with a bag around it,’ the skater punks of FIDLAR (an acronym for Fuck It, Dawg, Life’s a Risk – really) proclaim over polluted waves of crust-surf guitar in this 2013 burner. ‘I! Drink! Cheap! Beer! So! What! Fuck! You!’ shouts the chorus. Gotta respect a band whose entire raison d’être is to score shitty brews via tour riders. Would you really rather listen to Animal Collective, hippie?

Most of the songs on this list celebrate nights of debauchery, but only Kris Kristofferson thought to pour one out for the blurry morning after. The country troubadour’s ode to morning beers, sleepy city sidewalks, fried-chicken envy and pounding headaches is one of the loveliest country tunes ever written (Johnny Cash does a stellar take): Far from a Hangover-style (or Katy Perry’s ‘Last Friday Night’) recap of a rowdy night, Kristofferson’s song is a quiet, reflective number that pops with descriptive poetry and introspection. Now somebody makes this man’s wish come true and get him stoned.

Likely in constant rotation on Ladies Man Leon Phelps’ playlist, this megahit for Busta came at the height of hip hop’s obsession with luxury items, but don’t worry, it’s just as smooth if you’re drinking Black Velvet while listening. Rhymes’s signature rat-a-tat growl pairs nicely with the slick Neptunes beat, with Diddy and Pharrell even showing up to affirm that yes, they too would enjoy a glass of Courvasier.

Is this 1986 Brit hit the chirpiest drinking song on our list? We’re going to say yes, based on its jangly Smiths-esque guitars, 200 proof sing-alongability and the fact that it’s officially impossible to watch the video without a smile on your face. Set in a proper British boozer (translation: ‘pub’), the vid features a sweetly awkward dance routine and Claymation; plus, keen-eyed viewers will notice that the Housemartins’ bassist is a very young Norman Cook, a.k.a. Fatboy Slim. Fancy that.

An infectious hip-hop celebration of getting buzzed, ‘Tipsy’ has been setting off parties ever since it dropped in 2004. The hook couldn’t be simpler: ‘Everybody in the club gettin’ tipsy’ (followed by a Ying Yang–style whisper of the same line), repeated four times. St. Louis rapper J-Kwon may have been a fresh-faced 17-year-old when he released this dance-floor classic (public service reminder: teen drinking is very bad!), but he proved wise beyond his years in following hip-hop’s golden rule: club + alcohol = success.

Snider, an Americana alt-country folk-rocker from Memphis, penned this jocular anthem, about underage frat boys looking to score some brewskies before a Robert Earl Keen show, in 2002. It's tongue-in-cheek storytelling at its best, and Snider’s spell-it-out chorus has become a universal party cry for – you guessed it – more beer.

Phil Lynott and crew recorded the definitive version of this traditional Irish folk song, about an outlaw who robs a wealthy Englishman, only to be betrayed by his lover when his defenses are down (read: when he’s absolutely sloshed). Metallica, the Pogues and even Bryan Adams have tried their hands at it, but nothing comes close to the Dublin-based power-foursome’s emotional yet hard rocking take. 

With this, punk’s most heartwrenching tune about alcohol, the Bay Area trio made living under a bridge and eating dumpster burritos seem utterly romantic in 1992. Hyperliterate squatter-bard Blake Schwarzenbach’s vocals rasp and scratch like a man intimately acquainted with liquor and smokes: ‘I kissed the bottle / I should have been kissing you.’ Aww, my tears are gonna smear the ink on my ‘zine.

On an album devoted to his favorite foods (Mm.. Food), British MC Daniel Dumile finds the time to acknowledge his favorite beverage. Beginning with a boast about drinking other MC’s under the table, the masked rapper goes on a stream of consciousness tear atop a Madlib beat. It’s a track that’s meant to be savored, just like the last can of beer in the fridge.

Our drinking list oscillates between the celebratory and the self-loathing, between songs for drinking and songs about drinking. Frankly, I’m not sure where to file this gem from 2006. Chan Marshall’s backstory and the languid first half suggest the latter. But then there are the lyrics – ‘There’s nothing like living in a bottle!’ – and the shoo-wop swing of the upbeat climax, not to mention the bittersweet beauty of her voice. But I guess that’s what makes this song, and Cat Power, great: You can have it both ways, and typically do.

Back when Lil Wayne and Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman were on good terms, the pair teamed up for this champagne-soaked anthem built on the back of a Jadakiss sample. While it's fun to hear the duo describing their expensive jewelry, shoes and Marc Jacobs glass, the real takeaway for here is ‘start with straight shots and then pop bottles.’

Ah, the existential justification for drinking beer. Originally composed for a German film in 1956, this song (also known as ‘The No Beer Polka’) has been covered by a plethora of polka bands, translated into both English and Spanish. In our favorite version, 2003’s ‘En El Cielo No Hay Cerveza’ by Flaco Jiménez, we get to celebrate the earthly pleasure in all three languages.

‘Has everybody got problems?’ Ray Davies rhetorically asks like a carnival barker greeted by a chorus of ‘yeahs’ on this Kinks classic. Here, booze is a cure-all for everything from depression to shitty jobs, media-based fears and general boredom. It’s a rollicking number with a hint of nihilism that makes Davies sound like he might have been the inspiration behind the bartender from The Shining. 

This drinkin’ blues song was first recorded in 1953, becoming one of several of its kind to reach the Top Ten on the Billboard R&B chart. John Lee Hooker popularized the tune with his 1966 cover, but Thorogood took it to a whole new level of bitching and moaning in his 1977 version, borrowing another of Hooker’s songs, ‘House Rent Boogie,’ to serve as a backstory to explain the sorry singer’s situation. Someone please give the man his drinks and shut him up already.

Ween's nautically themed The Mollusk is packed with unexpected twists and turns, none more raucus than this satirical Irish sea shanty so convincing in its chants of ‘Aye, aye aye, sharpen your boots and bludgeon your eyes’ that you can practically smell the stale beer wafting from the speakers. It's glorious nonsense in the best way possible.

Sure, it’s a sarcastic harangue against excessive drinking - singer Henry Rollins was a militant teetotaler, and the hardcore trailblazers’ intense schedule didn’t leave much room for hangovers. But if you’re already sloshed, it’s easy to hear as a defiant, shout-along anthem for the inelegantly wasted: ‘I’ve got a six pack and nothing to do! I’ve got a six pack and I don’t need you!’ Damn right, bro!  

You’ve already closed down one bar, taken the crew to a friend's place and had a few too many drinks, but Charli XCX and her pal Lil Yachty see no problem with keeping the party going... forever. This supremely confident pop tune is one for the folks who don't know when to stop (for better or worse), consequences, weeknights and pesky neighbors be damned.

Gee, this stein-swinging sing-along from 1975 makes drunks seem quaint and adorable. Like commercials with horses falling in love with puppies. Not like raging douchebags who get into fights about football and fall in the street.

This L.A. rap duo is hardly a household name. That seems to be somewhat intentional, as Thes One and Double K never had greater aspirations than to throw a ridonkulous house party, and no desire to take hip-hop beyond the scratch heyday of two turntables and a microphone. God bless ’em. ‘To my liver and kidneys, your time is near / You like hangin’ on Twitter, and we like beer,’ proclaims K. The 2009 video is an homage to Laverne & Shirley. These dudes would make a great sitcom, too.

The Big Lebowski may have cornered the market on White Russian references in pop culture, but this (rhythmically) chugging delight from bluesy Brits Dr. Feelgood gives dairy its sonic due. Written by Nick Lowe (after a night spent drinking Kahlúa and watching John Lee Hooker perform), its seedy stomp and heavy riffing positively ooze the illicit joys of a night on the town. Warning: may not be suitable for the lactose intolerant.

Drinking until your problems disappear probably isn’t sound advice, but coming from Haggard it almost sounds like wisdom. Recorded in 1980 on the heels of the Hag’s third marriage, this whiskey-soaked country ballad probably works best when you’re wallowing in heartbreak, but anyone should be able to appreciate the cheesy saxophone solo.

As an American, the closest thing I have to a bank holiday is Presidents' Day, which is hardly a rousing cause for shouting ‘Prost!’ (Note: If Abe Lincoln is an excuse for you to drink, you are a raging alcoholic.) But this 1994 Britpop punker gave me a snapshot of U.K. binge culture in 1 minute and 42 seconds. ‘Bank holiday comes with six-pack of beer! Then it’s back to work! Ay! Ay! Ay!’ Albarn barks in a hops-soaked slur. Funny how Blur and Oasis fans fought. They all wanted a drink.

Some might find it morose to include artists like Janis Joplin and Elliott Smith – who died young after wrestling with their demons – on a list about booze. Then there’s AC/DC. Frontman Bon Scott attended his final recording session with the group in February 1980, working with Malcolm and Angus on this track. Days later, he was dead from alcohol poisoning. What did the band do? Mope? No, it hired a new singer and threw this cut on Back in Black.

A toast to our interns, who chided us for overlooking this my-first-reggaetón chillaxer from 2010. ‘Don't let the bastards get you down,’ RiRi sings in her patois. Basic Rihanna rule: The more Caribbean she sounds, the better. Jameson Irish whiskey gets plugged heavily over a sample of Avril Lavigne, which reeks of product placement (there's a shout-out to Ray-Bans, too, official hangover concealer of Rihanna), but at least it's not Malibu.

…makes the rankings on title alone. But this creaky weeper from 1975's Nighthawks at the Diner manages to rhyme vermouth with Naugahyde booth, too. Admit it: Young-barfly Tom Waits totally destroys old-man-in-a-rusty-shed-with-a-mule Tom Waits.

Is ‘Drunk Girls’ LCD Soundsystem’s finest hour? No, of course not. But does it feel like a night of reckless boozing in New York City? Absolutely. James Murphy himself has described the 2010 single as ‘dumb.’ But, he added, ‘I like dumb, short stuff.’ More reasons to dig ‘Drunk Girls’? The wince-inducing video, codirected by Spike Jonze, shows Murphy and the LCD crew being manhandled by malevolent pandas. Dumb ‘n’ short 4 evah.

Fleeting happiness in the haze of a drunken hour: Many songs have trod this path, but in the words of this jazz-pop standard, ‘One mint julep / Was the start of it all.’ Originally a hit for ’50s doo-wop group the Clovers on Atlantic Records, the tune tells of stealing an intoxicated kiss from a woman after one sweet, minty cocktail, only to get hitched (at her father's demand) and end up confused, hungover and the father of six kids. Quite the tipple. Though Ray Charles's 1961 instrumental cover made it a hit, Louis Prima's unmistakably comic tone gives his version the edge.

If this booze-soaked R&B ode to former flames sounds like something that the Weeknd should be singing, that's just because Abel Tesfaye actually wrote it. Released back when Drake was extremely in his feelings and fancied himself a singer (as well as a rapper), ‘Shot For Me’ finds the Canadian star spitefully reminding his exes to remember just how great he was when they knock back a glass of Canadian Club, or whatever folks shoot in Toronto.

Yes, ostensibly it’s a love song, but c’mon, Beyoncé was likely deep in her cups last year when she blurted the non sequitur hashtag ‘Surfbordt!’ Ditto for Jay-Z, who could not have been sober when he wrote, ‘Your breastesses is my breakfast.’ I think he stole that from Bukowski?

A sing-songy ode to the insanity-inducing allure of tobacco, brown liquor and the fairer sex, this old-timey barn-burner has been covered a billion or so times, with Buck Owens, Jim Croce and Ron Wood all offering up solid versions. The best, though? It’s the version performed by Peter Sellers and a cadre of felt hillbillies in covered-wagon times during his hosting stint on The Muppet Show. And no, we didn’t just make that up because we’ve been drinking ‘whuskey’ while writing.

There are drinking songs to carouse to, and there are drinking songs to listen to at 4am while you pour out another whiskey and your mind turns over what could’ve been, or where you could get cigarettes at this hour. Taken from Gillian Welch’s exquisite, bleak 1998 album, Hell Among the Yearlings, ‘Whiskey Girl’ falls into the latter category – and how.

Eventually covered by the likes of Willie Nelson and George Jones, this 1947 Western swing standard may well have started the sub-genre of woeful country songs about drinking away your sorrows. It’s bit antiquated and a little depressing, but it’s one of the jauntiest tunes about self-absorbed contemplation you’ll ever hear.

Back in the ‘90s, the universe declared that what America needed was a big-band swing revival, and BBVD led the charge with this boozy anthem that ensured a whole subculture would suffer concussions due to ill-advised swing dancing after several drinks. (Whether it also resulted in a spike in dancefloor-based concussions is unknown.) The song got huge via the film Swingers... then disappeared from the collective consciousness along with the Cherry ’ Daddies. But when it resurfaces, it's a stealth hit for anyone who ever used ‘that's so money’ in casual conversation.